Phoenix Comicon has exploded in popularity — sort of like the way Superman’s home planet blew up but better. But complications can arise when things grow, and for Phoenix Comicon, that came in the form of staff management.

In response to the election of Donald Trump, progressives are taking a page out of the Tea Party’s playbook to start to organize in opposition to the new president. It started with the Indivisible Guide, which started popping up on some social-media feeds after the election as a practical way to resist the Trump agenda.

Members of the Congressional Western Caucus, led by Chair Paul Gosar of Arizona’s Fourth District, are calling on the new administration to appoint people with experience working on western issues to positions that impact this region. To talk about some of those western issues is Seth Cothrun with the Sonoran Institute.

It’s early in Arizona’s legislative session, but local businesses that provide care to those with developmental disabilities are already making their voices heard. On Tuesday, representatives of the industry, their clients and advocates called on lawmakers to push for more funding in the state budget.

A charter school plans to expand in Gilbert near the Santan Freeway and Higley Road. Higley Unified School District once had its eye on the same land, but backed off because the town’s general plan envisioned the property as a business park.

In the southwest Valley, cities are looking ahead to keep development on its upward trend. The Goodyear City Council just approved an agreement with Salt River Project to bring surface water into the city for the first time.

High-school students often don’t know who to turn for help when they feel stuck in difficult situations. Parents don’t seem to “get it,” and school relationships can be fraught. The Rewrite Project in Phoenix is building a movement to try to change that. Julia Garia is an author and founder of the startup.

If this election made anything clear, it may be that there’s a very large divide between rural America and urban America. But that divide goes beyond the ballot box. A new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a striking gap in health between rural and urban Americans.

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